Phu Dong Temple in the capital’sGia Lam district received a certificate recognising it as a specialnational relic site at a ceremony on May 5.
The place ofworship was initially erected by King Hung Vuong VI before being rebuiltin the 11 th century by King Ly Thai To, the founder of the Lydynasty, after he moved the capital city from Hoa Lu-Ninh Binh to ThangLong, present-day Hanoi.
The temple is dedicated to aVietnamese national saint, Thanh Giong, one of the four immortals inVietnamese folk belief.
The ceremony was held to kick offthe Saint Giong festival, one of the most popular spiritual celebrationsin the Red River Delta, which was recognised as part of the intangiblecultural heritage of humanity by the UNESCO in 2010.
Withvarious traditional games and art performances, the three-day eventpromotes the Vietnamese people’s determination to fight foreign invadersfor peace and prosperity.
Vice Chairman of the district’sPeople’s Committee Nguyen Ngoc Thuan said local authorities and peoplewill do their utmost to preserve and promote the temple’s culturalheritage values as well as popularise the festival among both domesticand foreign tourists.
Legend has it that SaintGiong was born to a virgin mother after she put her foot on a giantfootprint in a field. However, the boy could not speak, laugh or cryeven by the time he was three years old.
Upon hearing thenews of an invasion from the North, he persuaded the King to grant himan iron horse, iron lance and iron armour. When the objects were broughtto him, the boy turned into a giant and used the weapons to defeat theaggressors to save his country and people. After that he rode his horseto fly up to heaven. These days, he is worshipped as an immortal.
Besides Phu Dong Temple, Hanoi has four other places that have beennamed as special national relics. They are Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Sontemple complex, Tay Dang communal house, and the temples of Hat Mon andthe Trung Sisters.-VNA
The place ofworship was initially erected by King Hung Vuong VI before being rebuiltin the 11 th century by King Ly Thai To, the founder of the Lydynasty, after he moved the capital city from Hoa Lu-Ninh Binh to ThangLong, present-day Hanoi.
The temple is dedicated to aVietnamese national saint, Thanh Giong, one of the four immortals inVietnamese folk belief.
The ceremony was held to kick offthe Saint Giong festival, one of the most popular spiritual celebrationsin the Red River Delta, which was recognised as part of the intangiblecultural heritage of humanity by the UNESCO in 2010.
Withvarious traditional games and art performances, the three-day eventpromotes the Vietnamese people’s determination to fight foreign invadersfor peace and prosperity.
Vice Chairman of the district’sPeople’s Committee Nguyen Ngoc Thuan said local authorities and peoplewill do their utmost to preserve and promote the temple’s culturalheritage values as well as popularise the festival among both domesticand foreign tourists.
Legend has it that SaintGiong was born to a virgin mother after she put her foot on a giantfootprint in a field. However, the boy could not speak, laugh or cryeven by the time he was three years old.
Upon hearing thenews of an invasion from the North, he persuaded the King to grant himan iron horse, iron lance and iron armour. When the objects were broughtto him, the boy turned into a giant and used the weapons to defeat theaggressors to save his country and people. After that he rode his horseto fly up to heaven. These days, he is worshipped as an immortal.
Besides Phu Dong Temple, Hanoi has four other places that have beennamed as special national relics. They are Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Sontemple complex, Tay Dang communal house, and the temples of Hat Mon andthe Trung Sisters.-VNA
